FOR WOMEN
(left to right)  Polo Ralph Lauren Herringbone Blazer  ($698) | Rag & Bone Tessa One-Button Blazer ($595) | A.L.C. Chelsea Plaid Double-Breasted Blazer ($695) | Marella Garden Single-Breasted Herringbone Blazer ($525)

FOR MEN
(left to right)  Reiss Lincoln Slim-Fit Wool Blazer ($515) | The Men’s Store at Bloomingdale’s Regular-Fit Tonal Plaid Sport Coat ($548) | BOSS Hanry Slim-Fit Sport Coat ($595) | Faherty Reserve Twill-Knit Blazer ($398)

Tic (tac) Tail Connects the Dots

With the retail economy shifting and small retailers closing down doors due to lack of foot traffic, any time I can support a mom and pop shop, I’m there! So for “Q the Favorites” Spring edition, I’m covering a newly discovered online AND retail shop called Tictail. Think Etsy meets Farfetch meets Squarespace.

It started out as an online destination where small companies could create their own website to sell their products and also have a marketplace to connect to and gain exposure. They opened up their first permanent store in NYC in 2016 solely for their online partners to sell their product in a physical location. They rotate out brands every month and when the new retailers are rotated, the store throws an opening party. Celebrating the small is so in!

What to Buy

/ 1 / Lavani Moon Buganville Verde Earrings $48 / 2 / Blue Bloom Emerald Crown Stud Earrings $36 / 3 / Marie June Melting Gold Earrings $140 / 4 / Akurat M41-KK/K-BR Watch $184 / 5 / Cassiopeia A Man On A Chair Mini Scarf $48 / 6 / Mutter+Kind Twist & Tango Blouse $123 / 7 / Eneri Susanna Bell Sleeve Blouse $145 / 8 / Jennie-Ellen Oh C’mon Boots $188 / 9 / Lax Shoes Jones Black Boots $279 / 10 / Jaychewin Butter Crossbody Bag $270 / 11 / More Is Better Moss Bag $171 / 12 / Empire Apothecary No.2 Rosemary Citrus Candle $26

With work from coast to coast and frequent jaunts to Ireland over the past year, lately I’m all about making life easier. So in part this post aims to help you simplify too, because with all the fun that the holiday season brings no one has time to waste.

A client recently wondered why she came down to breakfast wearing an outfit that looked so similar to her daughter-in-law’s. “What’s going on here? Who’s wrong?” she asked. I believe a few things are at play. People are aging better and dress more according to their (often active) lifestyle; more casual work environments lead people to mostly forgo suits; and due to our nearly 24/7 life-online trends spread fast and blend quickly. None of this is exclusively bad, but together, can leave one feeling like they are lost in a sea of sameness. 

These are some of the reasons I believe so deeply in having a wardrobe that is purposely built to truly represent who you really are at this time of your life. Try trends that speak to you, but only buy into those that work for you. Unknown confidence and actual joy will result when time, thought, and investment is spent to figuring and finding what you need to make your heart sing. And doing so will make your life easier. I promise you.

As you may, or may not, know I’m emotionally invested in keeping J.Crew floating.  So as promised, updates!  The bad news is sales have dropped by more than 5% this year and that Jenna Lyons’ replacement as head designer resigned after only a few months at the helm. Jenna did leave some pretty big shoes to fill. The good news though is, a transfer of debt and their new CFO is proving to be a good step towards building the company back up. The crew hasn’t sunk yet! Thank you to my clients who have been filling me in on your great finds there. You make my heart flutter!

Speaking of heart, this year has been a whirlwind for me, especially those who lived through and on the edge of California’s fires and were affected by the hurricanes.  No amount of thanks or appreciation can accurately express how profoundly grateful I am to do this work. Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and New Year!

My topic of discuss for a few months now has been my concern for long-time favorite J.Crew. It practically keeps me up at night, I simply can’t imagine retail without them.

Since the announcement of Jenna Lyons and Mickey Drexler stepping away from J.Crew, James Brett from West Elm has taken over as CEO. It seems it will take at least 2 years for J.Crew to climb out of the debt, the widely lauded Drexler, drove them into. He didn’t anticipate the dramatic rise of tech in the retail sector and that lack of ability to morph and change with the times, ultimately failed J.Crew. While the new CEO has officially started taking over the reigns, Drexler is still advising on matters.

While they have ebbed and flowed in my top ten through the last decade, they will have a special place in my heart. In high school – when you had to mail-in orders (shudder) – my sister and I finagled opening up a J.Crew credit card to call in and secure our orders. So it’s a personal mission to keep J.Crew doors open and in lieu of continuing to write them ideas about how to save their business, I am dedicating this newsletter to them in hopes that you shop to your hearts content. Click the image and shop the look, with a few extra below!

Him
/ 1 / 1040 Athletic Selvedge Raw Indigo Denim $168 / 2 / Oxford Shirt With Embroidered Rabbits $88 /3 / Bowery Slim Pant Glen Plaid Wool $98 / 4 / Navy Italian Silk Tie $70 / 5 / Italian Merino Wool Cardigan in Forest Green $108 / 6 / Keaton Plain Toe Boots $248 / 7 / American Pima Cotton Plaid Blue Shirt $65 / 8 / Sailboat Print Swim Short $50 / 9 / Wallace & Barnes Chore Blazer $150 / 10 / Ludlow Italian Stretch Wool Suit Jacket $425

Her
/ 1 / Orbit Earring $48 / 2 / Italian Silk Scarf in Paisley $70 / 3 / Colorful Floral Hoop Earrings $65 / 4 /Destination Italian Silk Scarf $35  / 5 / Double Strap Leopard Flats $258 / 6 / SeaVees for J.Crew Legend Velvet Sneakers $88 / 7 / Parke Blazer in Caramel $178 / 8 / Floral Silk Ruffle-Bib Top $78 / 9 /  Mens-y Cardigan With Tiger Patch $80 /10 / Collection Thomas Mason Sleeveless Top $118